Automatic drain-valve for steam-cylinders.



P. W. WALRAVEN. AUTOMATIC DRAIN VALVE POR STEAM CYLINDERS.

APPLIoATxoN FILED SEPT. 13, 1911.

1 1,020,861 Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

l Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2, l I7 E y /0 y 3mm/kw 2 5/ 52 /9 2495 @www 2 2 2fwzozZWaZ/faym mum m41 Gitana,

coLuMnM PLANoaRAPlI cg.,wAsn|Nn'roN. D. c

FRANCIS W. WALRAVEN, OF LAS CASCADAS, CANAL ZONE.

AUTOMATIC DRAIN-VALVE FOR STEAM-CYLINDERS.

Application led September 13, 1911.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 649,083.

To all 'whom z5 may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS V. AL- RAVEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Las Cascadas, Canal. Zone,Panama, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticDrain-Valves for Steam-Cylinders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to drain valves for the cylinders of locomotivesand other engines, and the principal object of the invention is toproduce a valve of simple construction which shall operate automaticallyto relieve the cylinder from any accumulation of water of condensation,thus taking the place of the manually operable valve which is nowcustomarily employed for this purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction underwhich a normally open outlet is provided for water of condensationtogether with a valve mechanisln operable by steam pressure within thecylinder to obstruct such normally open outlet and to provide a separateor auxiliary outlet or emergency outlet.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangements of parts which will behereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the draWings,-Figi1re 1 is a front elevation showing a portion of acylinder equipped with the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview similar to Fig. 2, but showing the valve in a different position.Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4; in Fig. 2.

Corresponding 4parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

1 represents a portion of the body of a steam cylinder of which only oneend is shown, it being understood that the other end is to beconstructed and equipped in accordance with the following description.

The cylinder body is provided upon its underside, adjacent to the endthereof, with a boss or enlargement 2 having a longitudinal bore 3 whichis parallel to the bore l of the cylinder. The bore 3 is accessiblethrough a notch 5 in the cylinder head G which is securely mounted inthe usual manner by fastening means, such as bolts 7, packing 8 beingemployed to provide a steam-tight joint. The end of the bore proper ofthe cylinder has an enlargement or counter-bore 9 which communicateswith the bore 3 by an inclined passage 10 and a vertical passage 11, thelatter being preferably of greater area than the passage 10 which isinclined inwardly or in the direction of the inner end of the bore 3.

The outer end of the bore is threaded for the reception of acorrespondingly threaded sleeve or housing 12 having at its outer end aplug 13 which is retained securely by a pin or screw 14, said plug beingprovided with a non-circular recess 15 for engagement with a wrenchwhereby it may be placed in position or detached, as the case may be.The sleeve or housing 12 should be very snugly fitted rin the bore 3,and the inner end of the latter communicates with the exterior of theenlargement 2 through a vent opening 1G which permits the escape of airwhen the housing is placed in position.

Fitted in the sleeve or housing 12 where it is longitudinally movable isa cylindrical valve member B comprising a body portion 17 and a headportion 1S which latter is threaded upon the cylindrical body portion,as shown at 19. Said head portion is also provided with packing, asshown at 20, to insure a tight fit between said valve head and the boreof the sleeve or housing, which lat-ter is provided intermediate theends thereof with a seat 2l for the valve head 18. Said valve head is,as will be seen, of greater diameter than the body portion 17 and thebore of the sleeve or housing is correspondingly enlarged at its outerend. The body portion of the valve member B is provided adjacent to thehead 1S with an annular groove or recess 22 which, when the valve memberB is projected in an outward direction by the action of a spring 28interposed between the inner end of the valve member and the inner wallof the housing will lie in registry with the inclined channel 10 andwith a port or opening 24 extending through the wall of the housing 12and through the boss or enlargement 2.v The valve member B is providedwith a longitudinal slot 25 engaged by a pin 26 that extends through thewall of the housing 12 for the purpose of preventing the valve memberfrom turning about its axis without interfering with the longitudinalreciprocatory movement of said valve member.

The valve member B has a longitudinal bore 27 for the passage of a valvestem 28 carrying a head 29 which is adapted to obstruct an aperture 30in the head member 18, said valve head 29 being actuated and normallyheld in a seated or obstructing position by means of a spring 31 whichis coiled about the stem 28, said spring being accommodated in anenlargement or counterbore 32 of the bore'27. The spring 31 is to be ofsuch tension that the valve 29 will be moved to a non-obstructingposition by normal boiler pressure. The head 18 of the valve member B isin the nature of a cap, the side wall of which is provided with a portor aperture 33 which, when t-he valve member is retracted against thetension of the spring 23, will register with the outlet port 24, asclearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A vent 34 connect-s the innerend of the housing 12 with the atmosphere. A leak vent 35 is alsoprovided which, when the valve member B, is in the projected positionshown in Fig. 2, serves to establish communication between thecounterbore of the cylinder through theA passage 11 and the out-let port24 through the annular groove 22 of the valve member B. It will be notedthat the plug 13 which constitutes a closure for the outer end of thehousing and which serves to obstruct t-he outward movement of the valvemember B is provided with a recess 36 having an opening 37 registeringwith the passage 11, said recess communicating also with the leak vent35.

In the operation of this device, when the piston, a portion of which hasbeen indicated at P, reaches the limit of its movement in one direction,and live steam fills the counterbore between the piston and theproximate cylinder head, the pressure of the steam through the passage11 which, as previously stated, is preferably of slightly larger areathan the passage 10, will displace the valve B against the tension ofthe spring 23 to the position shown in Fig. 3, and at the same time thevalve 29 will be moved to a non-obstructing position, causing water ofcondensation to be expelled through the passage 11, ports 30 and 33 andthe outlet passage 24. As the piston recedes, and the pressure upon thevalves 29 and B becomes less, the said valves will become seated by theaction of their respective springs, and

condense water may now escape through the inclined passage 10, theannular groove 22 and the outlet 24. 1V hen the engine is at rest, thecylinder will be drained through the passage 11, port 37, vent leak 35and outlet 24.

By the construction and arrangement of the improved automatic drainvalve herein described several important advantages are gained. Thedrain cocks which are now in common use are particularly objectionableupon locomotive engines used in construction work, because they project`just far enough to be in the way of obstructions of any kind, wherebysuch drain valves are liable to be broken ott', thereby involvingconsiderable expense or loss of time and necessary repairs.

By the present improvement the drain valve is housed within a solidintegral projection of the cylinder which barely projects beyond themargin of the cylinder head and which, even it obstruction should beencountered, has sufficient strength and solidity to resist any ordinaryblow or, in fact, any blow short of an actual wreck. Again, drain valvesthat require to be manually operated by rods or cords leading to the cabare frequently neglected when the attention of the engineer is otherwiseengaged, and condense water is apt to be blown through the exhaustcarrying with it soot and particles of dirt which are scatteredbroadcast to the discomfort of bystanders.

By the improved construction and arrangement of parts herein shown anddescribed a drain valve is provided which is entirely automatic in itsoperation and which under all circumstances will dispose of the water ofcondensation as :tast as it accumulates.

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed as new, is

1. A steam cylinder having an integral enlargement provided with alongitudinal bore, a housing seated in the bore and having threadedconnection therewith, said housing having a plug at its outer end, ductsconnecting the interior of the housing with the bore of the cylinder, anoutlet duct connecting the interior of the housing with the atmosphere,a spring actuated valve member slidable in the housing and having anannular recess, said valve member including a cap having an axial portand a radial port, the latter adapted to register with the outlet, aspring seated valve obstructing the axial port, and means for preventingthe valve member from turning about its axis.

2. A steam cylinder having an enlargement or boss provided with alongitudinal bore, a housing seated in the bore and having at its outerend a plug provided with a wrench seat, means for securing said plugagainst rotation with reference to the housing, a cylinder head having anotch through which the plug is accessible, ducts connecting theinterior of the housing with the bore of the cylinder and with theatmosphere, and spring seated valve means within the housing adapted tobe actuated by the pressure of steam in the cylinder.

3. A steam cylinder having a boss or enlargement provided with alongitudinal bore, a vent connecting the inner end of said bore with theatmosphere, a tightly fitting housing seated in and having threadedconnection With said bore, a plug threaded into the outer end of thehousing and having a Wrench seat, and a pin engaging the plug throughthe wall of the housing to secure the plug against rotation.

4. A steam cylinder having an integral boss or enlargement provided witha longitudinal bore, a housing tightly fitted in and securely connectedwith said bore, said housing having at its outer end a securely seatedplug provided with a recess in its inner end, a vertical duct connectingsaid recess with the bore of the cylinder, an inclined duct connectingthe interior of the housing with the bore of the cylinder, a portalining with the inner end of said inclined duct and connecting theinterior of the housing with the atmosphere, a vent connecting the innerend of the bore of the housing with the atmosphere, a vent leading fromthe recess in the inner side of the plug and opening into the interiorof the housing adjacent to the outlet port, a spring actuated valvemember seated in the housing and including a cap having an axial portconstituting a valve seat and a radial port adapted to register with theoutlet, means for preventing the rotation of the valve member about itsaxis, and a spring actuated valve associated with the valve member andnormally obstructing the axial port in the cap of said valve member, thelatter being provided with an annular recess which when the valve memberis projected establishes communication between the outlet and the innerend of the inclined duct.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence 0i' two witnesses.

FRANCIS W. WALRAVEN.

Witnesses:

WM. BAGGER, BENNETT S. JONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

